'One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.' – Oscar Wilde

makeup

We are constantly bombarded with new trends in the beauty world, whether it be contouring with a stiletto or dabbing red lipstick under your eyes to colour correct your bags.

However, when it comes to introducing a new way to apply your foundation, it isn’t fun and games: it’s a serious business. The latest trend of silicone applicators promises every makeup lover a flawless application, less foundation useage and a practical method of cleaning it. A product description from heaven. Although, doesn’t the old saying go that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is? Molicia purchased one so you can find out.

Source: @shopvioletvoss via Instagram 📸

A Flawless Application?

Unlike using a sponge, to use a silicone applicator you tap rather than bounce. The key to perfecting the application with this tool is to use small amounts of foundation and build your preferred covereage. Sure, it takes slightly longer than using other tools, but the application is just as smooth, if not better.

Less foundation usage?

As mentioned above, the perfect way to use a silicone applicator is to use less foundation. When applying to the face, the foundation will spread to cover much more surface than with your hands or brushes as it doesn’t absorb any product. Splurging on foundation just became even more justified.

Easy To Clean?

In your current foundation applicator’s life, how many times can youhonestly say that you have washed it? Brushes and sponges alike can be extremely hard labour to wash, whatever product you use to wash it with. Bacteria spreads like wildfire from all the build-up which equates to an increased risk of blemishes. With a silicone applicator, just 30 seconds under warm water and a pump of soap will have it as clean as new and ready to use again. This simple and quick method will create a daily cleaning routine which will reduce the spread of acne. What more can you ask for?

Silicone applicators are fab. Although the method of use is tricky to get used to at first and it may increase the time you spend blending slightly, it is worth the investment considering: they are far cheaper than your average application tool, give optional coverage, save money by using less product, take 30 seconds to clean and won’t break easily. If you follow one beauty trend this year, let it be this one.

So, you love fashion, in any/all of its forms: runway, luxury, high street, trends, art, design, etc. You’ve decided you want an outlet to explore and share the passion you have for the industry. But where do you start?

Well, it’s definitely a lot more work than it may seem but if your passion is pure, this won’t scare you but rather, excite you! Here’s a basic guide on how to start a fashion blog from the absolute beginning.

You’ve established you want to blog about fashion, but what about fashion do you want to write about? Is there a particular nieche you’re interested in? Figure out what gets your heart racing. For Molicia, I chose to talk about high fashion to my readers as I’ve built up my knowledge over the years and it’s something I’m extremely passionate about.

Brainstorm some post ideas:

So, you’ve chosen your niche(s) and now you’re ready to go! Well… not quite yet. When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing. I would just post about random ideas. My first few posts were actually about beauty! So it’s a good idea to just jot down a few notes about the type of posts you can do. For example, if you want to run a street style blog,consider researching who your style inspirations are, look at other street style blogs and think about why they’re successful, (but don’t copy people! Be inspired and work with the ideas that come from yourself). Not all of your posts will be successful, but that’s fine. That’s half the fun of the learning process.

Choose your host:

If you want to give blogging a trial-run, I would suggest creating your blog on one of these free platforms:

Molicia uses WordPress.com and has always enjoyed using it. You can: create your own themes, add social media links and analytics tools. I wouldn’t recommend self-hosting for new bloggers, as it is expensive and you need to know how much traffic your blog will achieve before becoming fully responsible for the website.

Choosing your website name:

This is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a blogger. This is how people will recognise you as a brand, and therefore you want to choose something that is memorable/relatable to your subject. For example, Molicia is a name you don’t hear often, (it is a combination of my first name, Molly and my middle name, Alicia.) I also have my surname in the web domain: www.moliciadickinson.wordpress.com. Think about things that sound nice, things that inspire you or things that are personal to you. After all, who would’ve thought MoonPig would be a good name for a card making company? Go with your gut!

You’re almost there!

You’ve now got a brand name for your blog, you’ve done your research and you’ve just finished creating your website… what now? Post! You’ve got your ideas, now it’s time to use them.

Remember…

Blogging should be fun and enjoy the journey, even if you make mistakes!

Write about something your passionate about and your readers will recognise it

Use high quality photos/videos and remember to provide a link back to the website you’ve used images from if you have done so

Use hashtags to generate more traffic to your posts

Communicate with other bloggers, making friends along the way is always fun and now you have the opportunity to make them all over the world

After 12 loyal years of creating masterpieces for super fashion house Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci recently announced his departure.

Instagram went into meltdown after Riccardo posted a photo to confirm his exit: colleagues such as Mert Alas (Mert & Marcus), Naomi Campbell and Natasha Poly flooded the photo app with memories. The industry mourns the designer’s leave but buzzes for the awaited news of where his career will take him next, with many guesses towards Versace.

To celebrate the hard work and beauty Riccardo Tisci has created in his twelve years at Givenchy, here we follow his journey from beginning to end and display the best looks from virtually every show he’s put on for the brand…

Are you single or taken? Who cares! 14th February is just another excuse to shop, (in Molicia’s world, anyway) and with all the exclusive Valentine’s Day collections dropping, there’s no excuse. With items for every price range, this wishlist is broken into 2 sections: one for you lucky ladies with a partner and one for you lucky ladies without one!

Oscar Wilde, a legendary writer in the fields of literature, plays and academia. Famed for his passion for Aestheticism, Wilde was in love with all things art and beauty. This is particularly a reoccurring theme in the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a classic Molicia is currently reading. As well as sharing a passion for all things bright and beautiful (to include fashion), I have instantly fallen in love with the way the author writes about his views and affections through the novel.

Valentine’s Day is next weekend and some of you girls will have a cute date lined up where as some of us girls will just be chilling and marking it as another day of the year. I’ll be going to Bluewater shopping centre this V Day as it’s also my sister’s birthday which I’m really happy about as I need to get an outfit for London Fashion Weekend.

I love metallic colours so I created a look that will make you feel golden all day regardless of whether you’re trying to impress a certain someone.

DETAILS:

Eyes:

Benefit creaseless cream eyeshadow in shade ‘my two cents’ all over the lid

I can’t even remember the last time I wrote about my holy grails. As I said in a previous post, I have a TONNE of new makeup and with that I have added a lot to my holy grail list. So here it is!

L’ORÉAL PARIS True MatchFoundation has neverrrrr ever let me down! It’s a heavy coverage that beats the formula of most high end products.

Why it’s holy grail: Even on a bad day, this foundation only needs a small amount of reapplication at the end of a long day. It’s great for girls who love a strong base.

MAYBELINE Lasting Drama Gel Liner On my previous holy grail list was the BENEFIT Push Up Liner which still deserves high credit, but this is just over half the price and the results are very similar.

Why it’s holy grail: It’s cheap and very long lasting. The brush also makes it easy to apply a thin and thick liner depending on your preference. I have 0 issues with this product.

L’ORÉAL PARIS Telescopic Mascara Every girl with short and flat lashes raise your hand (me!). This will change your life. No need for falsies with this beaut in your makeup bag!

Why it’s holy grail: The thick formula and thin brush creates major volume and length. There’s also no need for tonnes of layers, I feel as though 2 is more than enough.

BENEFIT Watts Up! Highlighter

Holy grail since I discovered highlighting, this products can give you a natural or heavy glow depending on how much you build the product.

Why it’s holy grail: Super easy to apply and comes with a sponge to blend, what more could you want?

NIVEA Lip Butter

Some lip balms can actually dry your lips out and cause you to reapply them 24/7. NOT THIS ONE. Winter can be a killer for your lips so for super soft lips this is exactly what you need.

Why it’s holy grail: You don’t need to constantly reapply this product. I use it once in the morning and once at night. My lips are never chapped and it also is a great base for lipstick, or even on its own for day time looks.

LIMECRIME VELVETINE Matte Liquid Lipstick

This is so perfect. So perfect. When you apply it, it’s soft and creamy and then dries to mattify. Exfoliate and moisturise your lips before using matte lipsticks because they will dry them out.

Why it’s holy grail: The formula makes it long lasting and it looks so good on!

That’s all from my holy grail list. Is there any products you would like me to give a full review of? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.